Circuit-interrupter



F. B. HULT.

CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. 1916.

1 ,327,825 Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

1Q WITNESSES: INVENTOR 1 M.% M md e r/z/r 5% f/a/f a ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATEN oFrrcE.

FREDERICK B. HOLT, OF ANTROBUS, NEAR NORTHWICH, ENGLAND, ASSIGN OR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION F PENN SYL VANIA.

CIRCUIT-INTERRUPTER.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

Application filed February 21, 1916. Serial No. 79,567.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, FREDERICK B. HOLT, a subject of the King of England, and a resident of Greenfield Farm, Antrobus, near Northwich, in the county of Chester, country of England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Circuit-Interrupters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to circuit interrupters and particularly to contact terminal members for such devices.

The object of my invention is to provide contact terminal members for devices of the above indicated character that shall be relatively cheap to construct, have improved ventilating characteristics and have means for easily assembling and connecting the same.

Heretofore, the stationary contact terminal members of a circuit interrupter usually comprised conducting rods or straps that were mounted on the base member and each of which was provided with a contact block at one of its ends and with a connector at its other end.

In my invention, I provide a contact terminal member that is constructed of a flat sheet of copper or other similar material which is bent into a substantially U-shape. The closed end of the U-shaped member constitutes a contact surface that may be increased by laterally elongating the same. \Vith my improved contact terminal mem hers, superior ventilation is secured, and conductors may be readily and easily attached thereto. Since the bent ends or limbs of the U-shaped members are Widely separated, the conductors that are attached thereto may be spaced apart to secure improved ventilation without the necessity of employing spacing blocks.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a portion of a circuit interrupter employing contact terminals embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a front view, partially in section and partially in elevation, of an oil-insulated circuit interrupter embodying my invention and Figs. 3, 4: and 5 are detail views of contact terminals embodying my invention.

In Fig.1 a base or panel 1 is provided with stationary contact-terminal members 2 and 3 that are constructed of metal strips bent to a substantiall U-shape and having substantially paralle limbs 4. Spacing blocks 5 and 6 are disposed between the closed ends 7 and 8 of the contact members 2 and 3, respectively, and the front of the panel 1, and are secured to the panel by bolts and nuts 9 and 10, respectively. A stationary arcing contact member 11 is secured to the spacing block 5, and a movable mem ber 12 is ivotally mounted on the spacing block 6. he pivotally mounted member 12 is adapted to support a movable arcing con tact member 13 and a main bridging contact member 14 that is adapted to engage the closed ends 7 and 8 of the contact terminal members 2 and 3, respectively. Conductors 15 are secured to the limbs 4 by screws 16. However, any other suitable means for securing the conductors 15 to the limbs 4 may be employed. The stationary contact-ten minal members 2 and 3 may be expanded to provide laterallyextending projections or toes 17 and 18 for'the purpose of increasing their contact surfaces.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing, an oil-containing receptacle 19 is provided with an insulating cover plate 20 through which extend stationary contact-terminal members 21 and 22. An insulating member 23 is disposed between substantially parallel limbs 24 of the contact members 21 and 22 and is secured thereto by bolts 25 and nuts 26. The insulating members 23 are secured to the cover plate 20- by screws 27 and constitute spacing and positioning members for the contact-terminal members. A movable bridging contact member 28 is operatively connected to an operating rod 29 and is adapted to engage the closed ends 30 and 31 of the contact terminals 21 and 22, re-

spectively. Conductors 32 are secured tothe limbs 24 by screws 33 or by any other suitable means. Y

If it is desired to increase the contact surface further than it is increased by expanding the closed ends of the terminals as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the closed ends may be laterally expanded at both sides, as shown in Fig. 5, and, if contact surfaces of still further increased area are desired, a air of side by-side contact terminals may be employed, substantially as shown in Fig. 3.

.Of course, the invention is not limited to single contact terminals, as any number of the same may be placed in side-by-side relation, and various other modifications may be made without departing from the tion with a movable contact member, of a cooperating stationary contact-terminal mem-' ber of substantially 'U-shape having a laterally-extended base contact portion.

-2. In a circuit interrupter, the c0mbina-.

tion with a movable contact member, of a stationary contact-terminal member of substantially' U-shape having a laterally-expanded contact end.

3. In a circuit interrupter, the combination with a movable member and a base member, of a conducting strip of substantially U-shape having a laterally-extended base portion and projecting through the base member and to constitutea ventilated stationary contact-terminal member.

4. In a circuit interrupter, the combination with a movable contact member and a base member, of a conducting strip of U- shape projectin through the base member and having its c osed end expanded laterally to cooperate with the movable contact member.

5. The combination witha base member, of a conducting member of U-shape mounted therein and having its closed end laterally expanded to constitute a relatively large contact surface.

6. The combination With a base member, of a plurality of conducting members of U- shape having laterally-extended base portions mounted therein to constitute contactterminal members having relatively large contact surfaces.

7. A contact-terminal member of substantially .U-shape having its closed end laterally expanded to constitute a relatively large contact surface.

8. In a circuit interrupteigthe combination with a base member and a movable contact member, of members of substantially U-shape having a laterally-extended base portion mounted in the base member and means for connecting conductors to the open ends of the U-shaped members, the closed ends of the U-shaped members constituting relatively large contact faces for cooperating with the movable contact member.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto subsgiiiied my name this 28th day of January,

FREDERICK B. HOLT.

Witnesses: V

JAs. STEWART BROADFOOT, MARGARET S. MAYOH. 

